kara

You may have stuck to yourself in high school, stuck to Steve in senior year after his break up with Nancy Wheeler and his friendship with Dustin, but you weren’t deaf. You heard the rumours, people who told you exactly where, or who, to go to if you needed a high.

You’d left school two years ago now, declining college to stay home and work, save up, and stay close to your brother. But rumours stuck, especially in a small town, and especially when your younger brother became friends with the person the rumours were about.

You’d seen Eddie Munson in the halls in school, he was in the year above you and Steve, and then was repeating his senior year for the first time when you reached senior year. You’d never spoken to him. Not out of fear, or pressure. But out of the lack of need to. He never noticed you and you in turn never paid much attention to him.

The year you had left school, you worked in the mall and never heard anything of Eddie. You’d seen him come to the record store you were working in, but never really spoken to him in any way that wasn’t employee/customer based.

Then the mall burnt down due to protesters on the Fourth of July in 1985, and you found a job at a small diner near the trailer park. You saw much more of Eddie there - sometimes when he’d come with his friends or his uncle, or when he’d just be stopping to pick up an order. Again, your conversations never strayed from professional. Until he brought Dustin home from school a few weeks into his freshman year.

Usually between 7 and 8pm, you’d either hear bike wheels screeching to a halt, or the low rumble of Steve’s BMW to signify Dustin was home. You’d never once heard the loud music blaring through a van’s window.

Disturbed from your relaxing night, the one night you had to yourself that week where you weren’t working or busy with Steve or Robin, you got up to check what was going on.

Opening the front door, you saw Dustin climbing out of the van parked in front of your drive. The music had been turned down now, and through the open passenger door, you could see Eddie smiling at Dustin where he stood grabbing his bag from the footwell.

“Hey Dustin, I thought Steve was picking you up today?” You were internally thanking yourself for having been in leggings and one of Dustin’s old hoodie’s he didn’t fit into anymore, and for having slippers on as you walked down your driveway.

“Apparently the King has a date and it was too cold and dark for Dustin to walk home so I gave him a lift, hope that’s okay.” Eddie’s voice was sweet, a kind, sincere and hopeful glint in it that showed he didn’t mean to overstep if he had. You only shook your head and rolled your eyes at the thought of your best friend on yet another date.

“Yeah it’s fine, thank you. I didn’t know Steve had a date, you could’ve called me Dustin, I would’ve come to get you.” Dustin seemed surprised at the two of you talking like you’d known each other longer than just one night.

“I thought you were working, didn’t know you were home.” You only rolled your eyes and shooed him inside, telling him there was takeout on the counter from your earlier shift at the diner. He said goodbye to Eddie with a promise to see him on Monday and ran inside.

“Thank you again, I never even thought to tell him I’d be home early when I dropped him off this morning.” You paused, willing away the slight guilt feeling of potentially having made your brother walk home in the dark. Eddie reiterated it was no problem and reached for the gear shift when your hand went for the still open passenger door, but you froze before you closed it. “Wanna come in for food? There’s a spare burger from the diner, I know that’s what you usually get when you come in.”

You’d be lying to yourself if you said you never saw how attractive Eddie was whenever you’d see him. You never had any plans to act on it, it was a passing thought every time you’d cross paths. But seeing him tonight, seeing the way he smiled at Dustin as if he was as close to him as Dustin was with Steve, fuelled you to chance an invite.

Once making sure you were okay with it, Eddie shut the van off and followed you into your house. Dustin was stood at the kitchen counter, unpacking and plating up food for the both of you after having dropped his school things off in his room and changing. When he saw Eddie behind you, he beamed, and you knew then you’d make sure to try do this more often.

The rest of the night, you watched how Dustin and Eddie interacted. Sure, you’d seen how your brother was with Steve, but it was different with Eddie in a way you couldn’t quite place yet.

Over time, you and Eddie became closer, you made it a weekly tradition to have takeout one night a week when you weren’t working. Eddie would bring Dustin home and the three of you would sit in your living room. Most times, the two of them would be talking about their newest D\&D campaign, and you’d chip in any ideas you had. You’d played a couple times to fill in for one of Dustin’s friends and Dustin spoke to you about the game so much that you understood most things. Eddie was shocked about it at first, but it had gotten to a point where if you didn’t understand something they were talking about, he’d jump in to explain before your brother could.

The two of you eventually started to hang out alone, on your days off from the diner, he’d come over to yours, or you’d go to his trailer. Eddie had asked you to help him study so he could finally graduate, and you’d immediately agreed. Times when you were working, he’d sit in a booth not far from your station behind the counter and study, asking you questions when you’d come over to refill his coffee, bring him food or bring him a milkshake, yourself and your food when you were on break.

“I don’t know, he’s really sweet and he actually pays attention when I’m trying to help him with school, he always offers to drive me home after work even though he knows my car is outside. He’s also so good with Dustin, he loves him a lot, I can tell.”

“I’m good with Dustin but you don’t wanna date me.” You smack Steve’s arm from where you sit on the counter at Family Video. You had called Robin the night before to talk but she was exhausted and suggested you come into her work to see her and Steve and tell them both. So now you’re spilling your feelings to them while you sip on a takeout milkshake you’d gotten when you left work. You’re still in your waitress dress but your apron was left in your passenger seat.

Robin rolled her eyes at Steve, giggling when you replied with, “Had your chance Harrington.” She’d seen you and Eddie together a few times. She and Steve made it a habit to stop by the diner when you were working after a late shift, sometimes for food, sometimes just for a drink, and she’d noticed you and Eddie on multiple occasions, smiling at each other like teenagers trying to keep a secret relationship. When she’d asked you about it, you brushed it off saying that you were just helping him graduate and he was just a friend. Seeing you finally admit your feelings made her feel like a proud sister.

“It is Eddie ‘the Freak’ Munson we’re talking about here, right? The pothead who sells to anyone and everyone and who plays his shitty music really loud from his van? That guy?” Steve knew he wasn’t in the right to tell you not to date someone, hell, he’d been dating a new girl pretty much every week for the past few months. That wasnt what he was trying to do. He just wanted you to date someone in ‘your league’ as he put it.

“Careful Stevie, sounds like you have a crush on him too.” Robin only slurped on the last of her shake you had brought with you when Steve glared at her from where he sat rewinding tapes.

“Steve you know he’s not a freak-”

“No. I don’t. You don’t. Look, I’m not trying to ‘meddle’ or whatever in your love life, or lack thereof,” He muttered the last part, but you and Robin both heard and a whack was fired at each of his arms. “Sorry. But I’m just saying, you could have pretty much anyone in Hawkins, why him? You heard what he was like when we were still in school. And that too! He’s repeating senior year. For the third time!”

“Steve, he’s not like that. You know just as well as I do that high school rumours aren’t always true. You weren’t King Steve in senior year when everyone thought you were, and we weren’t hooking up like everyone said we were. Rumours are rumours.”

“I saw him around last year, yeah he still has Hellfire, but he’s not as bad as you’re making him out to be Steve. Plus, the two of them look good together. You should’ve seen the way Eddie was looking at her when she went over to him at the diner last week. If that’s not heart eyes, I don’t know what is.”

You hadn’t even noticed Robin came to the diner last week. You hadn’t seen her and she usually found you when she’d come in, knowing that you’d know exactly what she wanted. But hearing her words made you forget that slight doubt in the back of your mind that Eddie only saw you as Dustin’s sister.

“Okay, before this turns into an argument, I have somewhere to be, I’ll see you guys later.” You hopped off the counter, only smirking to Robin when Steve asked where you were going. You had plans to meet Eddie at his trailer after school to study more on English, where he’d gotten a C on his last essay and wanted your help to improve on the next one.

“So I was thinking, since I did amazing in that last essay, thank you very much for that by the way, do you maybe wanna celebrate with a movie and takeout?” You had finally taken Eddie’s offer to drive you home after your lunch shift on a busy Saturday since your mom was using your car whilst hers was in the shop. You were walking out to his van when he proposed the plan, pick up a movie, go back to his trailer and order pizza, and just hang out with a few drinks for the night.

You turned the question over in your head for a minute as you got into his van. You luckily weren’t working tomorrow and Dustin was supposed to be sleeping at the Wheeler house, so you were totally free. “I guess we could… or I could spend the night home alone doing nothing but cleaning.” You tried to joke, hiding the wish for this to be considered a date. Instead of asking if it was, or making another joke about it, you turned the radio on and slipped in the mixtape you kept on you at all times.

It didn’t take long for Eddie to park up and lead the two of you into Family Video. He turned to you with the brightest smile you’d ever seen on anyone, and told you to pick out whatever you want. You had decided in the drive over to each pick out your favourite movies and you’d watch them both tonight.

When Eddie went over to the horror section, your eyes fell on Robin, who was practically buzzing behind the counter watching you and Eddie. She nodded her head with a signal to come over, so you did. Steve was stood beside her with an unreadable look on his face. Heading over to them, your faint smile turned giddy, Robin’s energy infecting you the closer you got to her. Before she or Steve could say anything, you felt the need to clarify that this wasn’t a date. Robin nodded with understanding, though she wished it was a date.

Steve had chosen to be a little hostile apparently. “Sure seems like one. Movies, food and alcohol? What next, you gonna smoke a few joints while you’re at it?” You stood speechless in front of him for a moment before you scoffed at him.

“Steve, you know he’s not like that. That’s not what we’re doing. What is your problem?” Your tone was laced with anger, but you kept your voice calm and collected, so as not to fight with one of your closest friends.

Steve seemed to have picked up on your feelings and sighed at himself, lowering his tone and his head as he explained himself. “I just want you to be safe, happy. I don’t know what you see in him at all. But you seem happy, and I think if I fight you on this anymore Robin is going to get me fired.” Robin only nodded from beside him while she unpacked a box of tapes to put out once you were gone.

You stepped closer to the counter, hips leaning on it as you put your hand over Steve’s resting by the computer. “He really makes me happy, not in the way I want, yet, hopefully, but happy nonetheless. He treats me great Steve. Thank you for caring, but I can handle myself.”

Eddie hadn’t found the film he was wanting so he rounded the aisle to ask if they had any more in stock. But he was frozen at the sight of you. You in all your beauty, that he’d tried so hard to resist, only to fold and ask you on a non-date under the guise of celebration, touching Steve. It was impossible not to see the look Steve was giving you, it was full of care and affection. You had mentioned you and Steve were close before, and he’d seen you both when you were in school. He’d heard the rumours of the two of you, but he barely knew you then. Seeing your hand on his though, Eddie felt like he’d received a stake through the heart. He knew the two of you weren’t together, but he felt like maybe he was interrupting something, and so, he turned and left.

Eddie knew it was wrong to leave you without saying anything, he had also left you stranded, he was your ride. But he didn’t have it in him to look you in the eyes and pretend that he felt nothing for you while you felt everything for Steve.

The sound of quick footsteps and then the bell above the door caught your attention. You turned to see Eddie running out of the store. Without a word to the two behind the counter, you ran after him.

“Hey, what’s going on? You okay?” Eddie froze at your voice behind him. He’d been so in his head that he hadn’t even heard you follow him. He turned to you but couldn’t bring himself to lift his eyes from the ground.

“Yeah, sorry, I just remembered I had to go pick something up for Wayne tonight. Rain check?” He knew asking for a rain check was pointless. He wasn’t going to put himself in the line of fire from a gun aimed by you, loaded by Steve. Your smile killed him when he looked up. You were clearly confused, but still, kind as ever, you nodded.

“Okay, call me when you get home.”

Eddie didn’t call.

You had stayed in the living room the whole night so as not to miss the ringing, but it never came. And it didn’t come the next day either. Or the whole of the next week. You never even saw him.

You’d called his trailer multiple times. The first time, Wayne picked up and said Eddie was at Gareth’s for band practice. The next time, Wayne picked up again, when you asked if you could speak to Eddie he’d agreed and you heard him call to Eddie to tell him it was you. You heard the boy in the background faintly telling him he couldn’t talk. You only thanked Wayne before hanging up. The last time, Eddie picked up, but as soon as he heard your voice, the line went dead before you could even ask if he was okay.

You took the hint eventually. You went on with your days, working your shifts at the diner, wandering town with Robin, hanging at Steve’s for movie nights.

Grabbing two milkshakes from the counter that a co-worker made for you whilst you got your bag from your locker, you shoot a quick thanks. You went to turn towards the door but a tall man with long curls you’d recognise anywhere walked in. His eyes lift up and meet yours, but as quick as they find you, they glance away. You only shake your head and leave.

Robin had called you earlier to ask if you could pick her up after work since Steve had another date and wanted to go straight home to shower. You’d immediately said yes with a promise of a shake and some girl talk. Which you both knew would consist of you complaining about Eddie avoiding you and how you can’t seem to hate him even after weeks of avoidance.

You’d only ever told Robin about it, refusing to tell Steve in fear of hearing ‘I told you so.’ It had become a fear recently. You’d thought it yourself, laying in bed late at night. What if Steve had been right all along? What if Eddie really wasn’t who you thought it was? But you had a deep gut feeling that Eddie wasn’t avoiding you out of hate, or to be malicious. You just didn't know what it was.

A week later, on a Monday night you had off of work, you’d finally convinced yourself to ask Dustin if he knew anything. He’d obviously seen how close you and Eddie had gotten, and he’d told you he was hoping that the two of you would get together after he had repeatedly asked you if you liked Eddie.

You were well aware they spent lunch together every day, and Dustin had mentioned in passing, before the avoiding, that Eddie had asked about you during the day, so you had a little hope that maybe he’d told Dustin at least some of the reason he wouldn’t talk to you.

You were having your weekly diner takeout night, without Eddie, when you’d asked the question. The tradition didn't feel the same without the constant chatter of the two boys, but you still loved your brother too much to be able to complain about spending time with him.

Dustin frowned when you told him Eddie hadn’t spoken to you in weeks. “No, he only told me he’d been busy with his band so that’s why he couldn’t come for dinner. I didn’t realise he was avoiding you.”

“Has he at least said anything? At all? About me? About why he won’t even look at me any more when he comes into the diner? Or around town?” You knew you were just asking the same thing in a different way. Dustin only shook his head in response.

What you didn’t know, was that Dustin was quickly forming a plan. A plan for the two of you to finally air out whatever had happened. A way to get the two of you to be alone, without anyone or anything interrupting what clearly needed to be spoken about.

Dustin’s plan came into action later that week. Friday was Hellfire night, but the usual room they would use was being used by the drama club for rehearsals, and so Eddie had taken the initiative to host it at his trailer. Wayne was working and he didn’t feel like spending the whole night alone. Usually, he would’ve stayed at the diner until you got off, but he couldn’t bring himself to face you anymore. The guilt was gnawing at him. He knew how wrong it was for him to be avoiding you the way he was with no explanation at all. But you had Steve, so at least he wouldn’t be getting in the way of what could be between a gorgeous girl and Hawkins ex-king.

“Oh, erm, Eddie?” The group was setting up their notes and character sheets to continue the campaign from where they’d left off last week. “I think I left my folder at home, and my sister dropped me off this morning. Would you be able to go get it?”

Eddie swallowed thickly over the lump in his throat. The mention of you, the idea of having to face you, alone, and how awkward it would be to show up at your house unannounced, made him hesitate to think up a way of getting on with the game.

“She’s not at home, I know you two aren’t on the best of terms. My mom is though, so could you go get it for me? I would go myself but,” Dustin trailed off. “I’ll stay here and like, sort everything else out.”

Eddie only sighed as he got up from the floor at the head of the coffee table, his DM screens already placed up in front of him, shielding him from the smirk Dustin shot at Mike and Lucas.

Within a minute, Eddie had his keys and was leaving, muttering something along the lines of “Little shit.”

You had your second night off that week, which was a rarity. You usually liked to work Friday nights despite how busy it got, it was usually a good night for tips. But someone had asked to swap shifts with you so she could go on a date tomorrow night, and you were more than happy to swap, having nothing to do tomorrow now that you and Eddie weren’t talking. 

So, with a free night, Dustin at school with Hellfire, your mom at work, you picked up a movie and some snacks and had promised yourself to the couch for the night. But as you were putting the tape into the VHS player, a knock at the door startled it out of your hands. With a quiet ‘fuck’, picking up the tape and placing it on top of the TV, you ran to the door so as not to keep whoever was outside waiting. And so you could get whatever it was out of the way so you could mope in peace.

Your whole body froze upon opening the door, the person over the threshold a mirror of your actions.

‘I- I’m sorry, Dustin said you’d be at work. He uhm. He said he left his folder here that he needs for tonight and he said you’d dropped him off this morning. Now just realising that doesn’t add up cause you don’t work doubles on Fridays but uhm-” Eddie cut himself off. “Can I?”

You still hadn’t said anything yet, the claws of guilt scraping at Eddie as he realised this was the first time he’d acknowledged you since the failed ‘date’. You only nodded as Eddie gestured behind you, and moved out of the way to let him in.

Eddie, not wanting to bother you, seeing the tape on the TV and the snacks laid out over the coffee table, quickly made his way towards your brother’s room.

Having snapped out of your daze, you wanted to make the most of this time you had alone with him. “Did I do something wrong?” You flinched at your own voice. It made you sound small and that was the last thing you wanted to be in front of someone who had made you feel it.

Eddie was frozen in place yet again, just like at the door, except this time he had barely made it past the couch. The guilt that had been scraping was now clutching and squeezing at his heart. He turned around to see you now, stood at the other end of the couch, arms wrapped around your body as if to take up as little space as possible in your own home. It makes Eddie want to crawl into another dimension and be eaten by whatever was there.

Eddie must have been silent for too long “I’m sorry, it’s just that you’ve been avoiding me since we went to Family Video when you said you had to get something for Wayne, and I really don’t know what happened. I asked Dustin but he said you hadn’t mentioned anything. Is everything okay? Did something happen? Is Wayne okay? Are you?”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. It was so wrong of me to avoid you. Wayne is okay, I’m physically okay.”

“So why are you avoiding me?”

Your tone isn’t accusatory, just confused, and slightly hurt. You’d moved to sit on the couch now, arms still wrapped around yourself, and Eddie couldn’t help himself. He echoed your movements and sat down too, but leaving enough room so that you wouldn’t touch. “I never meant to avoid you. Well. I did.” Both you and he winced at that. “I just, didn’t want to get in the way of you and Steve. I saw you both, at the counter, your hand was on his and you were looking at him with those gorgeous eyes, and I know we weren’t on a date, but God i wish it was. But then I saw the two of you and I realised that I was probably getting in the way of something that could be great for you. And I wanna be great for you, but as much as i hate to admit it, I could never be better than Steve. You deserve someone like him. I’ve seen how you two are, you’re always smiling at each other and you’ve been friends for so long, I just felt like I was overstepping, so I got out of the way.”

You didn’t respond at first, but you didn’t look away from Eddie’s face either. “Eddie,” your voice was calmer now, more controlled. “There is nothing. And I mean nothing, between me and Steve. We tried it. Once. Back in ‘85 just after the mall burnt down. We kissed but then we both realised there was no romantic feelings. So we kept just friends. Yes, he’s my best friend, but in the same way Robin is. I promise you, you weren’t getting in the way of anything. He was just being protective and asking me if I was sure I wanted to be with you, because believe me, I really wished that was a date too. I put my hand on his because I wanted to prove to him how sure I was, and you know how touchy Steve is just in general.”

The relief hits Eddie’s pursed lips before it can leave, caught by the idea that Steve was essentially warning you to not be with him. “I’m so sorry for avoiding you, I know I could’ve just asked you. But that’s another thing. I mean I just flat out ignored you for like three weeks. That’s not something anyone should do. If that’s not the clearest evidence that you shouldn’t want me, then I don’t know what is.”

You shuffle closer on the couch, no pity in your eyes, only sincere care. “You treat me better than anyone could. Yeah you avoided me but you were only doing what you thought was right.” You moved even closer, taking the hand that Eddie had rested on his head, into your own, cupping it with both of yours and turning fully to face him, legs curled up underneath you on the couch. “Eddie, I really like you. You. There’s something between us that I haven’t felt with anyone.”

Eddie only shakes his head aggressively. “No. No. I know what people say about me, and I know you do too. Yeah, I’m not like I used to, but I’m still a ‘freak’. You could have anyone you ever wan-”

Your lips are on his. Eddie can’t move. His heart is telling him to kiss back. Do anything! But his brain has stopped working. Your lips are so soft, but in seconds, you’re gone. Not far though because you bring both hands up to his face, palms cupping his cheeks to make him look you in the eyes.

“I want you Eddie. I choose you.” Your mouth opens and closes a few times after, clearly wanting to say more. So Eddie stays quiet to let you. Your voice is much quieter, almost a whisper when you finally get your words out. “If you’ll have me.”

Eddie scoffs, brain back in motion. “Of course I’ll have you.” Then he’s rushing back in, stealing your breath in a kiss that means everything all at once. ‘Sorry’ poured into it along with ‘I need you’ as your tongues brush.

Two weeks later, Eddie had finally asked you on a proper date. A re-do of what should have been. And so, he leads you into Family Video, your hand in his. Instead of leaving him to search alone, you drag him to the Romance section and take a few minutes arguing over what you’re in the mood for tonight, ultimately landing on picking one each.

Heading over to the counter, hand in hand, only Steve is there to sort your movies out. The sight of your smile filling him with pride at seeing his best friend happier than she has been in years. “He’s good for you.”

You smile, squeeze Eddie’s hand tighter and step further into his side, your head coming to lean on his bicep. You aren’t looking at Steve as you respond, your eyes caught on the shy smile and faint blush rising on Eddie’s face. “Yeah, he really is.”

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